The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles which are adapted to contain body exudates. More particularly, the present invention relates to prefastened absorbent articles having stretch panels for improved fit and performance.
It is desired that absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants or incontinence garments provide a close, comfortable fit about the wearer and contain body exudates. Moreover, it is desirable that such absorbent articles, after being soiled, can be removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner without undesirably soiling the caregiver or surrounding area such as the clothes of the wearer. In certain circumstances, it is also desirable that such absorbent articles are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily pull the article on and easily remove the article if it has not been soiled. For example, such absorbent articles can assist in the toilet training of children.
Conventional diapers have typically included a front waist portion and a rear waist portion, which are releasably connected about the hips of the wearer during use by conventional fasteners such as adhesive tape fasteners or hook and loop type fasteners. For example, the conventional fasteners have typically included a pair of fasteners, such as adhesive tape tabs, located on the outermost corners of the diaper in the rear waist region of the diaper and a complimentary fastener, such as a taping panel, located on the outer surface of the outer cover of the diaper in the front waist portion of the diaper. In such a configuration, the diaper has been positioned between the legs of the wearer while the wearer is lying down and the adhesive tape tabs have been releasably attached to the taping panel to secure the rear waist portion to the front waist portion of the diaper to secure the diaper about the waist of the wearer. Such conventional diapers are easy to fasten about and remove from the wearer after use without undesirably soiling the caregiver. However, such conventional diapers are not provided in a pant-like, prefastened configuration and, thus, are not configured to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer when the fasteners are attached. Conventional diapers have also typically included elasticized waistbands to help reduce the leakage of body exudates. Some conventional diapers have also included elasticized containment or barrier flaps at the leg or waist regions of the diaper to further reduce leaks. Further, the fastening systems of some conventional diapers have also been elasticized.
Several attempts have been made to provide absorbent articles which effectively contain body exudates, are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer, and provide ease of cleaning and removal after being soiled. For example, some conventional absorbent articles, such as conventional training pants, have included integral side panels which connect the front waist portion to the rear waist portion of the absorbent article. The side panels have been made stretchable such that the waist opening of the absorbent article can expand to allow the absorbent article to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer if desired. Such side panels have also been designed such that they may be tom to remove the training pant from the wearer after it has been soiled.
However, many of such attempts have not been completely satisfactory. For example, absorbent articles such as training pants have not always been able to achieve a close conforming fit to the wearer while still being able to expand enough to be pulled up and down over the hips of the wearer. Often such training pants fit the waist of the wearer loosely which can undesirably result in leaks. As a result, many of such articles have not contained bodily exudates as effectively as conventional diaper-type articles which can be adjusted to achieve a more conforming fit to the wearer. Moreover, the inspection and removal of soiled absorbent articles which have integral side panels, such as conventional training pants, have not always been completely satisfactory. For example, the side panels have been difficult to tear when attempting to remove the article from the waist of the wearer instead of pulling the article down over the hips of the wearer.
Further, diapers having elasticized waistbands or flaps at their waist regions and elasticized fastening systems have not been completely satisfactory. For example, such waistbands have generally been narrow and consequently have not always provided a reliable sealing surface with the wearer""s body, resulting in leakage. Moreover, although the elasticized fastening systems used on conventional diapers have improved the fit of the diaper about the wearer, such systems have typically not been tied in or connected to the elasticized waistbands and flaps. Thus, the forces exerted on the fastening system have not been efficiently transferred and distributed laterally across the waist region of the diaper along a wide band. As a result, the fit and containment of conventional absorbent articles have not been completely satisfactory.
Accordingly, despite the attempts to develop improved absorbent articles, there remains a need for absorbent articles which can provide the benefits of both conventional training pants and conventional diapers. That is, there remains a need for absorbent articles which conform to the wearer to effectively contain bodily exudates, which are capable of being pulled up and down over the hips and buttocks of the wearer without opening, which are readily secured about and removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner, and which allow easy inspection by the care giver to assist in determining whether the article is soiled. Moreover, there remains a need for improved fit and containment at the waist regions of absorbent articles.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, new prefastened, refastenable, disposable absorbent articles which have a stretch panel have been invented.
In one aspect, the present invention concerns a prefastened, refastenable, disposable absorbent article which comprises an absorbent chassis which defines a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article also includes at least one stretch panel which is located in one of the waist regions and which defines a waist edge, a pair of laterally opposed outboard edges which are located laterally beyond both of the side edges of the absorbent chassis, and an inward edge which is located longitudinally inward from the end edge of the absorbent chassis. The absorbent article further includes a pair of primary fasteners which are located on the laterally opposed outboard edges of the stretch panel and which are releasably prefastened to the opposite waist region of the absorbent chassis to releasably engage the front waist region to the rear waist region to provide the prefastened disposable absorbent article.
In a particular aspect, the prefastened absorbent article may further include at least one secondary fastener tab created by a pair of laterally directed perforations on at least one of two laterally opposed sides of the stretch panel. The prefastened absorbent article may further include a pair of passive side bonds which are located inward of the primary fasteners and which releasably connect an overlapped portion of the waist regions to assist in maintaining the prefastened absorbent article in a prefastened condition.
In another particular aspect, the stretch panel may comprise a center bridge panel, and a pair of laterally opposed side panels which are connected to opposed lateral edges of the bridge panel and which extend laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent chassis. In a particular embodiment, the bridge panel is elastomeric, and the side panels are non-elastomeric.
In still another aspect, the present invention concerns a package of prefastened disposable absorbent articles comprising a container and a plurality of the prefastened absorbent articles. Each prefastened, refastenable, disposable absorbent article comprises an absorbent chassis which defines a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. Each absorbent article also includes at least one stretch panel which is located in one of the waist regions and which defines a waist edge, a pair of laterally opposed outboard edges which are located laterally beyond both of the side edges of the absorbent chassis, and an inward edge which is located longitudinally inward from the end edge of the absorbent chassis. Each absorbent article further includes a pair of primary fasteners which are located on the laterally opposed outboard edges of the stretch panel and which are releasably prefastened to the opposite waist region of the absorbent chassis to releasably engage the front waist region to the rear waist region to provide the prefastened disposable absorbent article.
The present invention advantageously provides prefastened, refastenable, disposable absorbent articles which include a stretch panel. In particular, the present invention provides prefastened disposable absorbent articles which are capable of being reliably pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to assist in the toilet training of the wearer similar to conventional training pants. Moreover, similar to conventional diapers, the prefastened disposable absorbent articles of the present invention can advantageously be applied to and removed from the wearer similar to conventional diapers after they have been soiled with relative ease and cleanliness. Further, the prefastened disposable absorbent articles of the present invention allow easy inspection by the caregiver to assist in determining whether the article is soiled similar to conventional diapers. Finally, the various aspects of the present invention can advantageously provide an absorbent article having a more contouring fit and improved gasketing about the waist of the wearer, resulting in increased comfort, reduced leakage, and enhanced aesthetics.